Originally Posted by
berlinonaut
Did you ever try it? The Brompton may look funny but ergonomics are similar to a normal bike (in opposite to many other folders), therefor longer trips are not a problem (again in opposite to many other bikes that may look less funny but behave worse). I.e. last weekend a bunch of Brompton-riders here in Germany did the Berlin-Wall-Route in one day - 165km. The third year in a row, it starts to become a tradition. This is the track:
Cycling route Berlin | Berliner Mauerweg | GPSies This year not everyone did the whole trip, mainly due to really bad weather-conditions, but some still did. So obviously it is possible to ride longer trips on a Brompton w/o serious discomfort.
I'm sure some people are fine with the ergonomics of the bike, but 20 inch is pushing it already in terms of riding comfort, speed and ergonomics. Generally speaking, the smaller the wheel the lower your speed, the rougher the ride due to less shock absorption over rocks, bumps and potholes, more twitchy handling, etc. I might be somewhat biased but I have heard plenty of such complaints about Bromptons. Generally speaking, going over a pothole or unexpected bump on any 16 inch wheeler is likely to send you flying. Some people are fine with those limitations, and that's fine. I'm sure there are those who would never ride a 20 inch bike for similar reasons.